The 26-Story Treehouse

Gr 3–6—Andy and Terry, introduced in The 13-Story Treehouse (Feiwel & Friends, 2013), have expanded their incredible arboreal residence by adding several exciting features, including a robot-controlled ice-cream parlor, a mud-fighting arena, an ATM (Automatic Tattoo Machine), and the Maze of Doom. Their publisher, Mr. Bignose, is demanding their next book, so the friends attempt to tell stories about how they met and how they first built their treehouse. They also have to cope with a tank of sick, underwear-eating sharks and a pack of invading buccaneers. Similar in design to Jeff Kinney's "Diary Of A Wimpy Kid" series (Abrams), these 13 wacky, interconnected stories integrate print and graphic elements, with comic-book-style panels, word balloons, and text blocks, which blend together seamlessly. Different font styles help distinguish the storytelling sections from the main action. The conversational, matter-of-fact narration is a delightful contrast to the off-the-wall story line. Wildly humorous without being smart-alecky or sarcastic, this is a top choice for middle-grade readers.—Elaine E. Knight, formerly at Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL